The Record Magazine Issue #15 (November 2018)

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ISSUE 15 NOVEMBER 2018

A RCH DIOCE SA N PL A N

2016

2021

H A L F WAY M A R K F I L L E D W I T H D E T E R M I N AT I O N T O C O M M I T TO BRING CHURCH IN PERTH CLOSER TO CHRIST

TE STI M O N Y

A DU LT FA ITH

Sr Margaret Scharf

Winning with Faith

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PAGE 24

O UTR E AC H TO TH OS EÂ I N N E E D Putting faith into action

Official magazine for the Catholic Archdiocese of Perth

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THE RECORD MAGAZINE

Featured this month

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Sr Margaret Scharf Reaching out, responding and maintaining a relationship with Christ

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Effective Communication Bringing the Gospel to life in the modern world

“Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come...”

— Luke 11:2 FROM THE EDITOR Jamie O’Brien

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Outreach to those in need

In this special 40-page issue of The Record Magazine,

Putting faith into action

we take a look at the Archdiocesan Plan 2016-2021, as established by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe.

With the aim of facing the challenge to ‘return the Church to Christ, and return Christ to the Church’,

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the Plan

is now at the halfway mark, and has achieved several significant milestones.

We take a look at those achievements, starting with the changes in Communications and the commencement of The Record Magazine.

We speak with Adult Faith Formation Co-ordinator, Sr Margaret Scharf, who shares her story and journey as a Dominican Sister.

FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE From Archbishop Timothy Costelloe From Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton

IN THIS EDITION Archdiocesan Plan 2016 – 2021

We speak with new WA Catholic Migrant and Refugee

Strengthening & Revitalising Parishes I

Office Director, Deacon Greg Lowe, who shares his ideas

WACMRO

of plans for a new program working with parishes and

Support for Clergy

newly arrived migrants and refugees.

Adult Faith

We look at the new resources being created under

Strengthening & Revitalising Parishes II

Strengthening and Revitalising Parishes, as well as the new

Growth and Development

formation and training being developed for our clergy.

Plenary 2020

The Record Magazine is a magazine for the people and I hope

Book Review

you will enjoy taking the time to engage with us. Please feel free to share your thoughts via editor@therecord.com.au, or by contacting us on 08 9220 5900.

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Recipe: Soy-coated Chicken Wings Colouring Page Activity Page

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I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 3

‘ LI S TE N TH E

AT T E N T I V E LY,

SCRI P TU R E S’

COS TE LLO E

O N

–

TO

A RCH B I S H O P

FA LLOUT

CO M M I S S I O N

LOO K O F

ROYA L

R E S PO N S E

A rchbishop Costelloe addressed the Perth Catholic community shortly after the release of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Catholic Religious Australia’s joint formal response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I

am writing to you once again to share my thoughts with you as we all continue to grapple with the overwhelming tragedy of the sexual abuse of children and young people in our Catholic communities and institutions. In doing so I am deeply conscious that many bishops, including myself, have said many things about this terrible reality. However as I begin this letter I want once again to express my own deep shame and sorrow that so many people’s lives have been so badly damaged by these terrible crimes. On behalf of the Catholic community of the Archdiocese of Perth I offer to all those victims and survivors of sexual abuse in the Church, and to their families and friends, my sincere and heartfelt apology. I understand that these things have been said before, and that words alone can never be enough. I continue to be determined to ensure, with the help of so many people around me, that these words will be backed up by practical action. It is this determination which lies at the heart of my desire to share this letter with you.

Some weeks ago I celebrated a special Mass in the Cathedral for representatives from our archdiocesan agencies. This is an annual event in which we acknowledge, celebrate and most importantly pray for all those who work in so many different areas of the extensive outreach of our archdiocese to the society in which we live.

While preparing my homily it became very clear to me that I needed once again to address with these key leaders in the archdiocese the shameful history of the Church in relation to the sexual abuse of children and young people. In the course of this homily I invited everyone present to reflect on the following:

The Royal Commission has posed some difficult and uncomfortable questions for us as a Church. For me they all converge into one deeply disturbing set of questions: how could this possibly have happened? How did we manage to veer away so disastrously from those things which are at the heart of our faith? How is it possible that people who publicly professed their commitment to Christ, and dared to preach him to others, could so blatantly betray him, or so comprehensively turn their backs on him?

With the recent publication of the formal response of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) and Catholic Religious Australia (CRA) to the recommendations of the Royal Commission, and in view of the proposed national apology from the Prime Minister to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, it is

ARCHBISHOP’S WORD

absolutely necessary that we as a Church continue to confront and be challenged by these questions. In this pastoral letter, which I offer to you not solely as a letter but as an invitation to prayer and meditation, I hope that you will find some help as you struggle to understand the tragedy which has engulfed the lives of so many.

I would invite you to read it in conjunction with the statement from the Presidents of the ACBC and CRA which accompanies the release of the Church’s formal response. It is made on behalf of all the bishops and religious including myself.

The Royal Commission itself, over long years of intensive investigation culminating in its final report and extensive recommendations, has been and will continue to be an invaluable tool in assisting us to grapple with the causes of this terrible tragedy. We must never allow ourselves to become complacent and think of this only as a dark past which, with the conclusion of the Royal Commission, is now behind us: it is also our present and an urgent demand on our future. Many survivors of sexual abuse, and their families, continue to suffer the consequences of the crimes that were committed against them. We must as a Church, as a community of disciples of Jesus Christ, do everything we possibly can to help people move into a better future. That we failed to do this in the past only makes it more urgent that we do so now and in the years ahead.

At the same time we must continue to explore every possibility open to us to ensure that our Catholic communities, be they parishes, schools, hospitals, social welfare agencies or anything else, are places of absolute safety for our children, our young people, and indeed for everyone who comes in contact with the Church in any way. Our Archdiocesan Safeguarding Project is a cornerstone of our efforts and a symbol of our determination to make the present and the future so radically different from and better than the past. In this regard I would like to highlight two principles which are often stressed by Andrea Musulin, the Director of our Safeguarding Project. Firstly Andrea reminds us that pedophiles will gravitate to those places where the children and young people are. We want to be communities of faith where our children and young people can experience the beauty, the richness and the promise of life lived with a consciousness of God’s

presence and God’s love. Because this is our desire and our mission we have an absolute duty to do all we can to ensure that this is exactly what people do experience in our communities. Tragically, and shamefully, this was not always the case in the past. It is because of this that another of Andrea’s principles is so important. We can never afford to “take off our safeguarding hat”. This is true of every member of our Catholic community: our laity, our religious, our deacons, our priests and our bishops. We are all, together, the People of God. We must carry in our minds and in our hearts a constant awareness that vigilance can never be relaxed and complacency can never be allowed to grow.

In this regard I am enormously grateful to the generous and committed parishioners who have stepped forward to be the Safeguarding Officers in their local parish communities. Their physical and visible presence is a constant reminder of the central importance of protecting children in our communities.

They are also a warning to those with evil intent that Catholic communities are now the most dangerous places for them to attempt to corrupt and harm the young. Our eyes are now open and our determination to root out this evil from our midst is uncompromising. We are now, in ways that we were not in the past, listening to and acting on the words of Jesus: Anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith in me would be better drowned in the depths of the sea with a great millstone round his neck” (Matthew 18:6).

In the formal response of the ACBC and CRA to the recommendations of the Royal Commission we have either accepted, accepted in principle, or supported all but one of the 82 recommendations which relate directly or indirectly to the Catholic Church.

While the one recommendation we were unable to accept – that which relates to the confidentiality of the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) – will be the focus of much discussion and criticism, this should not obscure the reality that the leadership of the Church has committed to acting upon all the other recommendations. A number of them have been referred to the Holy See as they concern matters over which the Australian bishops have no jurisdiction (changes to the universal Canon Law of the Church for example cannot be made by the bishops of Australia) but the majority

ARCHBISHOP’S WORD

of recommendations made by the Royal Commission have already been, or are in the process of being, or will be as a matter of urgency, implemented by the Church in Australia. In order to ensure that this happens the ACBC and CRA have jointly established both Catholic Professional Standards Limited and the Implementation Advisory Group. The former body, which is functionally independent of the Bishops and the Religious Leaders, will establish and monitor compliance with nationally applicable and compulsory standards for all institutions which seek to be, and are approved by the Church’s

ACBC President Archbishop Mark Coleridge with CRA President Sister Monica Cavanagh at a media conference on 31 August 2018. Photo: Diocese of Broken Bay

leaders as, Catholic institutions. The latter body, comprising primarily lay people, will advise the Church’s

the gospel has been. For Pope John Paul, the explanation for this hopeless inadequacy was quite simple: we have failed to contemplate the face of Christ. We have failed to realise that unless the Church, deliberately and consciously and intentionally, refers everything it seeks to do and be to him, we will never even come close to being the Church, the community of disciples, Christ is calling us to be. If we try to build the house, which is God’s Church, on shifting sands, rather than on the solid rock of Christ who is the only foundation for the Church, then the fabric of the Church will continue to unravel, to the shame and dismay of us all.

leadership on practical steps which need to be taken to ensure that the recommendations of the Royal Commission are in fact being implemented in practical and effective ways.

For myself as the Archbishop of Perth I want to repeat what I said in recent comments made available, at their request, to one of the local media outlets here in Perth: While the Catholic Church cannot change its teachings on the sanctity of the Confessional, including the absolute inviolability of the “sacramental seal”, here in Western Australia, as throughout our country, the

These reflections arise from my own grappling with the question: how could this possibly have happened?

We must, and we will, give careful consideration to all that the Royal Commission has revealed. We must, and we will, look at our structures and, where we can, reform and even abandon and replace them if they are contributors to the horror of sexual abuse. We must, and we will, face the hard questions about the dangers of an unhealthy culture of clericalism, about the lack of episcopal accountability, about the ways in which our approach to the theory and practice of celibacy may have contributed to this disaster, about the undervaluing of the role of lay people, and within that the role of women, in the life of the Church, and about so many other matters which have surfaced through the years of the Royal Commission’s work. As Pope Francis said in his recent letter to the People of God “it is essential that we, as a Church, be able to acknowledge and condemn, with sorrow and shame, the atrocities perpetrated by consecrated persons, clerics, and all those entrusted with the mission of watching over and caring for those most vulnerable”. The Royal Commission’s exhaustive work will help us to do just that.

Church will continue to take every step available to it to ensure the safety and well-being, physical, psychological and spiritual, of every child and young person who takes part in the life of our communities.

In my homily to Church Agencies, to which I referred at the beginning of this letter, I shared my own conviction about the challenge we are facing. I want to share that now with you.

In asking these questions I am not for a moment suggesting that all the particular issues raised by the Royal Commission do not need to be carefully considered.

Of course they must be. What I do believe, however, is that the terrible story of sexual abuse in our Church indicates a deep malaise within our Church, just as I believe that the widespread prevalence of sexual abuse throughout so many institutions in our society, including the most important institution of all, the family, points to a malign cancer at the heart of our society which should alarm us all.

All Catholics … are being called at this particular time to have the courage to recognise how hopelessly inadequate, to borrow some words from St John Paul II, our witness to

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We must also, I firmly believe, recognise that focusing on the issues identified by the Royal Commission alone, vitally important though it is to do so, will not lead to the renewal of the Church which the present moment calls for. We must have the courage to acknowledge that, for a long time, the Church in Australia (and of course not only here but in other places as well) has been going through a deep spiritual crisis which ultimately points to a “de-throning” of Christ from his rightful place in the Church. Our rhetoric may have been unimpeachable but our practice has sometimes been anything but. It is time for us, as a community of faith, to recall the words of Jesus:

Go and repair my Church for it is falling into ruins. Perhaps

It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord”, who will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven … everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible person who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid person who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house and it fell; and what a fall it had!”

(Matthew 7:21).

prevent further abuse of children, young people and

The time has come for us all first of all to listen, deeply and attentively and constantly, to the words of Christ, as they come to us in the scriptures, the Book of the Church, and then, having listened, to faithfully and courageously act on what we have heard. The time has come for us all to decide whether or not we will accept that the way we must follow is Christ’s way; that the truth to which we must commit ourselves is Christ’s truth; and that the life we must strive to live is our life in Christ. Those who have abused children and young people, and those who have protected the abusers, even if in doing so their intention was to preserve the reputation of the Church, were not walking in the Lord’s way, were not following the path of the Lord’s truth, and were not living according to the model of Christ’s life.

Saint Francis of Assisi, whose name the present pope bears, once heard a voice while praying before a crucifix in an abandoned and derelict church:

hearts grow cold. Only in this way can we become a

we are facing a similar invitation today. Saint Francis responded by stripping himself of all but the essentials, and by gathering around him a community of people who, in different ways, sought to live in fidelity to the gospel. In many ways it was a simple as that. The abuse of children and young people represents an appalling case of infidelity to the gospel. The failure of bishops and other Church leaders to respond with courage and determination has been an equally appalling case of infidelity. Only by a renewed and uncompromising determination to live as faithful disciples of Jesus within the community of his Church can we hope to vulnerable adults. This is not a task which falls only to the bishops, the clergy, the religious or those who work in ministry within our communities: it is a task which we all share together. We need to discover again the call of the gospel. We need to recommit ourselves again to a faithful following of Jesus. We need, in the vivid image of Pope Francis, to become a community where people’s wounds can be healed and people’s hearts can be warmed – and therefore we need to learn how to be healers rather than hurters, people who know how to warm the hearts of others rather than making their people who are walking together in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd.

This is the fundamental challenge which now faces us as we seek to implement all those recommendations from the Royal Commission to which we have committed ourselves. We are, to paraphrase some words from Saint Paul, a people who hold a great treasure in the earthen vessels of our frail humanity (cf 2 Cor 4:7). It would be dangerous to continue along the path of renewal if we rely only on our own efforts. We must place Christ and his grace, given to us in and through our life in the Church, at the centre of everything. Only Christ can renew his Church – but he seeks to do so in and through us. And so we pray, in the words of one of the Church’s Lenten hymns: What we have darkened heal with light, And what we have destroyed make whole.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

+ Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB ARCHBISHOP OF PERTH 7

WA L K I N G T O G E T H E R W I T H C H R I S T, I S T H E WA Y F O R V I S I O N T O BE AC H I E V E D

A

pope in the Middle Ages made this comment, I hope in exasperation, “The laity has always been the enemy

The general background to these words and attitudes would have been the long struggle of the papacy to assert its authority, especially over the

of the clergy!� I hope it was in exasperation after a

kingdoms throughout Europe.

particularly difficult day, but I do remember laughing

The words contrast the very different times that

to myself when I heard it during one of our Church

we were travelling through and the present journey

History lectures in the seminary.

as we plan for a collaborative model of Church.

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BISHOP’S WORD

We believe that the Holy Spirit moved strongly among

I reflected on these words of St Teresa with those leaders

the College of Bishops as they met with Pope John

of faith formation in the agencies.

XXIII in the Second Vatican Council.

The bishop relies very heavily on the people of the

The Council made several references to the Church as

Archdiocese who work closely with him.

the Body of Christ, drawing from the words of St Paul:

They are largely lay faithful and they work with the clergy

one body with one head, Jesus Christ, with a great

and religious in new and exciting ways. An Archdiocesan

variety of gifts that have been entrusted to it.

agency can see itself as being the eyes, hands and feet of

These charisms have been bestowed on the members

Christ for the people it serves.

of the Church to be used for the building up of the

The bishop does not have all the gifts and skills that

community and for its mission to be effective. This

are necessary for the mission of Christ to be advanced.

collaboration of clergy and laity has already borne many

These are provided by so many others. He cannot be

fruits and is contributing to the renewal of the Church.

physically present, but they can. By building a culture of

The Council helped us to recover dimensions of the

collaboration, the words of St Paul and the Church we are

Church, which had been obscured when other aspects

called to be will be realised.

were being emphasised in the past.

Our Archdiocesan Plan began in 2016 and will reach

Archbishop Costelloe has spoken often about the

its conclusion in 2021. A large number of strategies

Church being authentic to its identity and mission.

have been accepted and much work has been done to

He has articulated that we are called to be disciples

implement them during this period.

of Christ.

The Plan flows from seven key areas for the Archdiocese

The vision for our local church is that we are called

at this time. They are: Professional Standards, Effective

to be a people who walk together in the footsteps of

Communication, Strengthening and Revitalising Parishes,

Christ, the Good Shepherd.

Support for Clergy, Adult Faith Formation, Outreach

The Archdiocesan Plan has been inspired by the vision

to Those in Need, and Archdiocesan Growth and

that we must always put Jesus Christ at the heart of

Development.

everything we do.

In the areas of Parish Renewal and Adult Faith Formation,

At a recent Mass with leaders of mission and formation

in which I have been involved, much has been done. A

in our Catholic agencies, a simple prayer card was

new Parish Pastoral Council Constitution and Handbook

distributed which carries the famous quote of St Teresa

are available for the parishes.

of Avila:

Some parishes have begun working together on shared pastoral initiatives with considerable success. Hubs

Christ has no body now but yours.

of parishes have developed almost spontaneously to

No hands, no feet on earth but yours.

create shared youth ministry, more engaging outreach to

Yours are the eyes through which

Aboriginal people, and Catechumenate formation.

He looks with compassion on this world.

The agencies involved in adult faith formation are

Yours are the feet with which

developing further their networking together to optimise

He walks to do good.

the opportunities to provide for the needs of our parishes.

Yours are the hands through

The Archdiocesan Plan aims to provide the pathway

which He blesses all the world.

to a more “Christ-centred, faithful, vibrant, welcoming,

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

inclusive and mission-oriented Church”.

yours are the eyes, yours are His body.

Walking together, I believe, with Christ, is the way for this vision to be achieved.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

+ Bishop Donald Sproxton AUXILIARY BISHOP OF PERTH

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A RCHDIOCE PL A N 2 0 1 6 H A L F WAY M A R K F I L L E D W I T H D E T E R M I N AT I O N T O C O M M I T TO BRING CHURCH IN PERTH CLOSER TO CHRIST

The 10 September, 2015 will forever mark a pivotal moment for the Archdiocese of Perth.

It was on this night, in front of a select audience, that Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB put forward his vision and priorities, after nearly three and a half years in the role as leader of the Perth Catholic community.

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THE RECORD MAGAZINE

2021

CESA N WORDS Jamie O’Brien

I

t was on this night that he proclaimed, as he had done previously, that the greatest challenge we face today is to return the Church to Christ, and return Christ to the Church.

“This is of course already true in principle: the Church is the living body of Christ – we are already inseparably united with him.

“But our urgent task is to make this true not just in principle but also in practice, so that no-one, including we ourselves, can be in any doubt that we are, first and foremost, a community of disciples of Christ, committed to walking in his way, living by his truth, and drawing our life from him,” Archbishop Costelloe explained.

Archbishop Costelloe went on to explain that because we are people of hope, we must renew our efforts to proclaim the message in every way we can, making full and creative use of all the possibilities the new technologies and modern means of communication offer us.

“In all of this I have one overarching hope, one overarching dream, for our Archdiocese. It is this: that we begin to see ourselves, and conduct ourselves, as a people called to walk together in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd,” he said.

The announcement of ‘The Way Forward’ on 10 September 2015 formalised the commencement of a period of planning and organisation and a new

The Archdiocesan Plan 2016 – 2021 is now at the halfway mark.

overarching working party supported by several working groups was established, to help steer collaboration of the many thoughts and ideas that were being put forward via a wide-reaching survey.

After several months, implementation of the Archdiocesan Plan was officially launched in May 2016, and the seven key priority areas of Archbishop Costelloe were brought to life; Professional Standards, Effective Communication, Support for Clergy, Strengthening and Revitalising Parishes, Adult Faith Formation, Outreach to Those in Need, and Archdiocesan Growth and Development .

Vicars and Co-Ordinators were appointed to the areas to commence the practical implementation.

The Archbishop himself took on the task of Professional Standards, Bishop Don Sproxton took on Adult Faith and Strengthening and Revitalising Parishes, Fr Peter Whitely VG was allocated to care for Effective Communications and Growth and Development, Fr Brian McKenna for Support for Clergy, and Dr Terry Wilson for Outreach to those in Need.

I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 11

Archdiocese of Perth CEOAdministration Greg Russo, says the process of putting the Plan together and associated implementation has been a powerful moment for the Archdiocese and Church in Perth.

Archbishop Costelloe SDB at his installation Mass in March 2012 at St Mary’s Cathedral where he first spoke about the challenge we face today is to return the Church to Christ and Christ to his Church. Photo: Ron Tan

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THE RECORD MAGAZINE

The Co-Ordinators included Manager, Strategy and Implementation Renay Grech for Growth and Development, Manager of Communications Jamie O’Brien for Effective Communication, former Highgate Parish Priest Fr Peter Bianchini for Support for Clergy, Catholic Education Western Australia Chaplain Fr Nino Vinciguerra for Strengthening and Revitalising Parishes and Dominican Sister Margaret Scharf OP has most recently been appointed to Adult Faith Formation.

Actions have since that point been finalised in leaps and bounds, such as the launch of The Record Magazine in Effective Communication, formalised and comprehensive formation and training in Support for Clergy, review and update of the Parish Pastoral Council Constitution in Strengthening and Revitalising Parishes, the ongoing development of an Adult Faith Formation Network in Adult Faith Formation, and the social outreach network conference in Outreach to Those in Need.

Archdiocese of Perth CEO-Administration, Greg Russo says the process of putting the Plan together and associated implementation has been a powerful moment for the Archdiocese and Church in Perth.

“It was no co-incidence the Plan was launched in the Year of Mercy, as proclaimed

by Pope Francis, and will finish around the same time of the 2020 Plenary Council.

“Even before the official planning commenced, it was clear that the Archdiocese and its people have understood the need to come together for the purpose as outlined in the priority areas, and develop a new understanding of what it means to be a people ‘walking in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd’,” Mr Russo said.

“And now as we reach halfway in implementing the Plan, it is clear that while much has been achieved, there is still plenty more to do. But with a clear mission and direction, we can walk confidently in facing the challenges and communicating the positives,” he said.

Mr Russo continued saying that he has been positively impressed how staff across the Archdiocese have worked together within the context of the Archdiocesan Plan, understanding that the actions and outcomes are all intended at bringing the Church in Perth closer to Christ.

“It has been bigger than a simple strategy or pastoral plan,” Mr Russo explained.

“As followers of Christ we are compelled to follow in the word of Pope Francis, who proclaimed in Evangelii Gaudium, ‘I hope that all communities will devote the necessary effort to advancing along the path of a pastoral and missionary conversion which cannot leave things as they presently are.

‘Mere administration’ can no longer be enough.

“He continues by saying that throughout the world, let us be ‘permanently in a state of mission’,” Mr Russo concluded.

... all communities will devote the necessary effort to advancing along the path of a pastoral and missionary conversion which cannot leave things as they presently are.

The Archdiocesan Plan Co-ordinating Group Chair, Danny Murphy; Executive Officer, Jane Kikeros; Archbishop Timothy Costelloe; and Archdiocese of Perth CEO-Administration, Greg Russo. Photo: Ron Tan

I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 13

Reaching out, responding and maintaining a relationship with Christ WORDS Amanda Murthy

Dominican Sister Dr Margaret Scharf OP regards her new role as Perth Archdiocese Adult Faith Formation Coordinator a challenge – but one that she accepts whole-heartedly.

“Our various Archdiocesan agencies were formed in response to people’s needs. Sometimes, Catholics are not aware that they have a need,” she said.

“Just by creating the awareness to encourage them to ask for help, and extend the available resources, we can play our role in bringing Christ back into the Church and the Church back into Christ.”

This is a process that takes time, Sr Margaret admits.

However, the ongoing needs of people in the parish and school communities have been taken into account and an action plan is being implemented.

She explained to The Record that there are several gaps in the Church that she hopes to bridge through her role.

“One of the gaps which we have identified is: what is happening to the young adults in the community?

“It seems like they’re in the Catholic environment until they finish school, and sometimes lose touch with the Church. It’s only when they have their own children and desire that their children receive the Sacraments that they start to come back to the Church again.”

Adult Faith Formation Coordinator Dominican Sister Margaret Scharf helps people to deepen their relationship with Jesus to come to know who He is and who God is in their lives. Photo: Supplied

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Sr Margaret explained that this is not entirely the fault of young adults because often there aren’t any associations or programs that cater to young families and Catholics in the faith community.

“The Church includes other groups with particular needs for spiritual and faith formation. For example, many faithful people in the Catholic community find their spiritual and faith journey a personal challenge because there may not be programs on offer for parishioners.

“Then, there are those who are distanced from the Church as a result of various hurts and those who are thinking of returning to a parish faith community,” she said.

By identifying some of these needs, Sr Margaret said the big questions now revolves around how we encourage people to come back home to the Church, create and maintain the sense of relationship with God, how to show them that God, and the Church are relevant in their lives.

This is a question Sr Margaret has asked and answered many times during her ministry, from the time she joined the Congregation of Dominican Sisters of Western Australia some 42 years ago.

Adult Faith Formation

Sr Margaret, under the guidance of Bishop Sproxton, has been working with schools and parishes to fulfil the spiritual needs of the community. Photo: Supplied

“

God has always taken the initiative in calling us to a deep friendship, constantly reaching out to us.

”

From the start, her time and energy was invested in primary education and administration, the development of religious education programs and training of catechists in both the Diocese of Geraldton and the Solomon Islands, upholding the Dominican focus of prayer, study, community and preaching.

With a strong academic background in spirituality, Sr Margaret’s offers her professional expertise to a number of organisations, including the Centre for Faith Enrichment, the Catholic Institute of WA, sessional work for the University of Notre Dame (Fremantle Campus), and the Dominican Institute for Spirituality.

She has ample experience in spiritual direction and supervision,

leading

retreats

and

presentations

for parishes, Catholic school staffs and Religious communities.

Sr Margaret is also a composer-songwriter with works published in WA and the USA since the 1970s.

Sr Margaret said plans are currently underway for Adult Faith Formation in the Archdiocese.

“At the moment, the Archdiocesan agencies have created the Adult Faith Formation Network, providing programmes in various areas of church and life. Under the leadership of the Vicar for Adult Faith Formation, Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton, an implementation group has been formed with a mandate to work towards designing a strategic plan that can be implemented in parishes.

“For parishes, we will focus on foundational topics and expand gradually, so that parishioners will be offered more in-depth programs in spiritual and faith formation.”

Sr Margaret shared some of the more common topics discussed during the parish formation workshops, according to parish needs.

“We know there is a need in the parishes and, similarly, I have designed an ongoing spiritual and faith formation programme for potential leaders in schools, called ‘Galilee’ as I found there are very few programs for Catholic educators.

“It is so important that Catholic educators are equipped with the necessary knowledge so they can empower their students and staff to be better leaders and to encourage a society that prays and embodies the Church’s teachings,” she said.

Sr Margaret said while responding to the programs made available to the Catholic community, she reiterated the importance of gaining information on faith from the proper channels.

“We agencies want to offer people foundational topics.

We are dealing with adults – the desire is to offer some depth to their learning experiences.”

Sr Margaret added that the Church has people who minister in all areas of life who are qualified and experienced, having done the background work in order to give the best of the teaching and process work needed for participants to deepen their relationship with God and the Church.

“God has always taken the initiative in calling us to a deep friendship, constantly reaching out to us. If and when we do respond, we need to nurture our spiritual and faith life in order to develop this loving relationship.

“Only then, will we realise how this deep friendship connects us to God and others, and the reign of God will become a reality on earth, as in heaven,” she concluded.

I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 15

Archbishop Timothy

Effective Communication:

BRINGING THE GOSPEL TO LIFE IN THE MODERN WORLD —

The importance of effective communication in the Archdiocese of Perth, and the Church as a community, has never been more important than it is now, says Manager of Communications, Jamie O’Brien.

Costelloe SDB and Bishop Don Sproxton pose for a selfie with Communications Manager Jamie O’Brien, Production Officer Feby Plando and Content Producer Joshua Low at the Chapel of Mary McKillop for ACYF 2017.

Photo: Jamie O’Brien

Ef fective Communication

to greater participation and engagement across all the different audiences.”

Mr O’Brien detailed that several new initiatives have taken place over the past few years that have been important in the life of the Archdiocesan Plan.

The biggest of these, has been the launch of The eRecord in October 2014 and then The Record Magazine in The 2018 Communications Office team, from left, Journalist Amanda Murthy,

March 2016.

Production Officer Feby Plando, Journalist Matthew Lau, Administration

The eRecord is now at its 200th edition and covers a

Officer Bibiana Kwaramba, Content Producer Joshua Low, Communications

variety of local news and events of parishes, schools,

Manager Jamie O’Brien and Journalist Theresia Titus. Photo: Jamie O’Brien

A

s Archdiocesan Plan Co-ordinator for Effective Communications, and under Fr Peter Whitely VG as Vicar for Effective Communication, Mr O’Brien and his team have spearheaded much of the change that has taken place of how the Archdiocese communicates with regards to news and publications.

groups, clergy, religious and lay people.

At this years Australasian Catholic Press Association Awards held in Brisbane, The eRecord was awarded several Highly Commended titles, in addition to Winner for Best Photo at the Australasian Religious Press Association Awards, also held in Brisbane.

The Record Magazine, is a 32 page bi-monthly feature publication and is now in its 15th issue, covering topics

“Our strategy is a multi-platform approach, with the mindset that we are making this journey of faith with people from all walks of life and backgrounds,” Mr O’Brien said.

“These platforms each have their own demands, timelines, structure and even audience, and so we are constantly assessing what are the best ways to bring them to life,” he said.

“Because we live in a secular society, and our message is often counter contextual to the values of society, we have worked to ensure that the delivery is as effective and practical as possible.”

Mr O’Brien explained that for the Archdiocese of Perth, the task of ‘communicating effectively’ has been an ongoing journey.

“What is important, is the message,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Platforms, be they print or digital, will need to and do change from time to time, according to the ever-changing audience as well as technological advancements.

“But these platforms must work together and the structure of these carefully co-ordinated to ensure the message is not lost.

“The changes we have made to our communication platforms have been necessary and the overwhelming positive response from the readership has been evidence that we are heading in the right direction.

such as education, health, family, Aboriginal culture and

“But we won’t stop there. We are continually working on the ethos that effective communication builds knowledge, and knowledge builds communion, leading

that mean we are not repeating ourselves unnecessarily,

adult faith.

In 2017, The Record was awarded the Gutenberg Award at the Australasian Religious Press Association Awards for its outstanding combination in providing a diverse and helpful way of communicating to the community today.

A new Archdiocesan website was also launched in 2016 and a new website for The Record is in the final stages of completion.

“We have also embarked on a new strategy of engagement, which has included having a fresh presence at events such as UNDA O-Day, the Australian Pastoral Musicians Network Conference and the 2017 Australian Catholic Youth Festival,” Mr O’Brien explained.

“We are also in the process of finalising several other new ideas, such as a regular video presentation by our clergy, and increasing the use of tools such as live streaming,” he said.

What has been important for everyone involved, Mr O’Brien noted, is the time taken to trial the various platforms, test the various structures, listen to reader and audience feedback and also understand the future impact.

“Taking that time has been important for all involved, as it has allowed us to implement supporting structures but positively building on what has already being created and delivered.”

I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 17

“A member of the lay faithful can never remain in isolation from the community, but must live in a continual interaction with others…

They are treasures that complement one another for the good of all” – P O P E J O H N PAU L I I , C H R I S T I F I DE L E S L A IC I 2 0

A

s we approach the halfway point of the Archdiocesan Plan 2016-2021, most of the strategies in the realm of Strengthening and Revitalising Parishes are in progress or have already reached completion.

Strengthening and Revitalising Parishes Coordinator Father Nino Vinciguerra, said great progress has been made in the priority area of the Plan, as exemplified by two trial north and south of the river parish hubs.

“Both have engaged in a number of common programs and pastoral issues, and have experienced the support of working together,” he said.

Importantly, the parish renewal team is also in contact with the Archdiocese’s country parishes, while visitation and consultation are underway.

In his conversations with laity throughout the Archdiocese of Perth, Fr Nino encourages parishes to continue supporting one another.

He commented that he has noticed a broad readiness to embrace the vision of the Plan, a vision for parish renewal that promotes a unique collaborative pastoral model of practice.

“Following the earlier launch of the revised Constitution for Parish Pastoral Councils, we now also have a new parish renewal website to facilitate formation of parish leadership, and provide a range of resources for parishes in their quest to bring about rejuvenation. This is the result of work undertaken by the parish renewal team with parishes.”

PA R I S H E S E M B R AC E MODEL OF WOR K I NG AS BR A NCHES OF THE ONE V INE

WORDS Matthew Lau

Coordinator of Strengthening and Revitalising Parishes, Fr Nino Vinciguerra, at a Joint Parish Retreat Day at Mount Lawley Parish on 10 March. Photo: Josh Low

Strengthening & Revitalising Parishes

The principle of a collaborative pastoral practice begins with meaningful engagement with others, he said.

“It promotes the working together of parishes and Archdiocesan agencies and organisations, using their combined gifts and talents to achieve shared goals. This collaboration, with its sharing of resources, enables the Archdiocese to function more efficiently and effectively,” Fr Vinciguerra continued.

“At the same time the individuality of parishes must also be respected because it is a wonderful source of creativity and of new ideas in pastoral practice.

Collaborating though, gives us the opportunity to be exposed to these invaluable insights.”

“

Collaborating... gives us the opportunity to be exposed to these invaluable insights.”

The aspect of collaborative pastoral practice is core to parish renewal as it encourages a shift of perspective.

“A collaborative pastoral practice model asks individuals to reflect not only on ‘What do I need to do in my personal life to be a good Christian? What does my parish need to do?’ he said.

“But it inspires a thinking that is immersed in a parish community that embraces and is itself embraced by the whole Archdiocese.”

Fr Vinciguerra explained to The Record that the mindset – that we are all called to be missionary disciples – is one dear to the heart of Pope Francis.

“While there is so much that needs to be done to maintain the basic structure of a parish, the Gospel imperative is always, maintenance for mission.

“Christ gathers and cares for us, so that through us, all others, especially the lost, those on the margins of life might also know the goodness of the Shepherd,” he added.

“However, as we know, the ‘devil is always in the detail’, and parish clergy are especially conscious of the difficulties in implementing change. An important element in the collaborative model, is the awareness of the benefits of sharing the parish workload.”

The launch of the revised constitutions for Parish Pastoral Councils was held on 31 July at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: Ron Tan

Fr Vinciguerra said it is a model that asks us to “work differently” rather than “work more”.

“Jesus clearly teaches that we are all branches of the one vine. When we realise this in our pastoral practise, Jesus promises not only fruit, but fruit in abundance.

Conversely, cut off from Jesus and therefore from each other, we can do nothing, certainly nothing that will last.”

This teaching of Jesus was the central theology of the Second Vatican Council, as Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB reminded those present at the launch of the revised constitution for Parish Pastoral Councils at St Mary’s Cathedral on 31 July.

Both the constitution and extensive handbook are located in a new website dedicated to parish renewal and to the formation of parish leadership.

“The extensive consultations conducted with parishes have helped produce these very practical resources,” Fr Vinciguerra explained.

“There has also been consultation with some interstate dioceses, and they too have expressed keen interest in seeing our resources.”

I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 19

WACMRO

BUILDING BRIDGES ,

From left: WACMRO Director Dcn Greg Lowe, WACMRO Office Manager Grace Kurniawan, Archdiocese of Perth Research and Project Development Manager Tony Giglia, and Archdiocese of Perth Chief Operations Officer Terry Wilson. Photo: Matthew Lau

B

uilding bridges and growing in empathy for our fellow man is the aim behind WA Catholic Migrant & Refugee Office (WACMRO) Director, Deacon Greg Lowe’s mission in the Church.

He was delighted to speak to The Record about his new office regarding Outreach to Those in Need under the Archdiocesan Plan.

“Having a Catholic Migrant and Refugee office enhances the ‘Catholicity’ of the Archdiocese, as reaching out to migrants and refugees is part of who we are and what we do as a Catholic Church,” Dcn Greg said.

“The other reason is that many of the migrants and refugees in Perth are vulnerable and need extra support in addition to what the other agencies are already offering.

“That’s where we can help – and importantly, that’s where the parishes and schools can help - to provide that extra support which can’t be provided by the bigger migrant and refugee settlement agencies,” he said.

Dcn Greg explained that beyond a certain period of time, many funded agencies are unable to continue their support, which becomes a problem for those who have not settled as expected and need more time and continued support.

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“The government is very good at settling most refugees and asylum seekers that have arrived by air; it’s a good process in place.

“However, somewhere along the line, when it comes to those who arrived by boat, different governments have decided to make this social issue a political one,” Dcn Greg said.

WACMRO is working collaboratively with agencies such as the Coalition for Asylum Seekers Refugees and Detainees, Australian Red Cross, MercyCare, Centrecare and St Vincent de Paul regarding migrant and refugee matters in Perth.

He emphasised that mobilising parishes to reach out and help migrant and refugee families living in the parishes when they need help, is necessary.

“We can help train some of the volunteers to be aware of what the issues might be, and to be

PASTORAL CARE IS PERSON-FOCUSED, PARISH-SUPPORTED AND AGENCY-ASSISTED

Outreach to Those in Need

ENHANCING EMPATHY WORDS Theresia Titus

From left: Archdiocese of Perth Chief Operations Officer Terry Wilson, Archdiocese of Perth Research and Project Development Manager Tony Giglia, WACMRO Office Manager Grace Kurniawan, and WACMRO Director Dcn Greg Lowe. Photo: Matthew Lau

sensitive to cultural differences; that would be good for the parishes’ identity as people who focus on the dignity of the human person.

Speaking at the Social Justice Statement 2018-2019 Perth Launch in September, Dcn Greg told his audience that WACMRO is drawing up a Welcoming Parish program to assist parishes in “creating an intentional space in its pastoral planning for the inclusion of outreach to persons from vulnerable and marginalised groups”.

“This model for the delivery of pastoral care is person-focused, parish-supported and agencyassisted,” he said.

“From a migrant and refugee perspective, the program would find practical pastoral expression in the Draw Near (to an Asylum Seeker) Project based on aspects of the Welcome the Asylum Seeker Parish Support program model from Catholic Social Services in Victoria.”

The Draw Near Project will be trialed in a parish in November and fine-tuned, a collaboration between the parish, WACMRO and the asylum seeker.

Dcn Greg explained that WACMRO is hopeful that through the training given at parishes, migrants

and refugees feel welcomed, so that one day, they are able to contribute to an intercultural Australian society, having built bridges between cultures.

“As we get many cultures coming, we need to learn to become very skilful at dealing with intercultural communications, taking all the best bits of all the cultures and integrating them within Australian culture.

“When we become more open to other cultures, we become more generous, and it means people are willing to help anyone from anywhere no matter who they are or what the problem is.

Drawing on the story of the Good Samaritan, Dcn Greg passionately stated that empathy and God’s grace are the keys for us to be good Samaritans in the world.

“If we put the dignity of the human person front and centre, we actually become a more prayerful Church.

We can’t do any of this without the grace that comes to us in, with and through real prayer and, at the end of the day, doesn’t it all start and end with prayer?” he concluded.

I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 21

Providing clergy in the Archdiocese of Perth with professional, pastoral, spiritual and material support in their role as servant leaders is behind the Archdiocesan Plan’s Support for Clergy Initiative.

F

r Brian McKenna, Chair of the Support for Clergy Working Party, said that just as Jesus called His first disciples, who were ordinary men going about their daily lives as fishermen, He continues to do so to normal men today.

Fr McKenna added that the men who are called are similar to the initial disciples in their ordinariness.

“They all have their idiosyncrasies and failings, but they also have a desire to deepen their relationship with God through Jesus.

“The formation of the initial disciples was done by Jesus himself. They developed a deep relationship with Him, listening and learning from what He said and did,” he said.

“Those called to be priests or deacons today are responding to the invitation they hear from God in their hearts, which is then confirmed when they are accepted by the Archbishop to take up their role in the Archdiocese.

“And so, the Archdiocesan Plan recognises the need of support for these men.”

Fr McKenna added that supporting the clergy, especially at this present moment in time, is of utmost importance.

“The horror of the actions of a few has deeply affected all of us, so we also know that this is a very difficult time to be a member of the Catholic clergy,” he said.

“Our faithful clergy need support and encouragement in their role as servant leaders and shepherds of the people entrusted to them. As we move forward, we very much need and appreciate the prayers and support of parishioners as well.”

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SU PPORT ING OU R C L E RG Y:

A great need in a difficult time WORDS Josh Low

Suppor t for Clergy

“Without priests, the Church would not be able to live that fundamental obedience which is at the very heart of her existence and her mission in history, an obedience in response to the command of Christ: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations’ (Mt 28:19)” ― St Pope John Paul II in Apostolic Exhortation ‘Pastores Dabo Vobis’

The Board of Clergy Life and Ministry (for the further formation of those already ordained) existed for many years, but has now been revamped into what is now called the Clergy Support and Formation Board.

Made up of clergy, representatives of the laity and a female religious, its two key focus areas are Support and Formation.

Fr Peter Bianchini, The Archdiocesan Plan’s Support for Clergy Coordinator, said some of the key issues identified in the plan included the need for ongoing theological, spiritual, pastoral and personal formation, administrative support for parish priests and practical support (medical, ergonomic, accommodation).

“We divided the clergy into four groups; those who are enquiring until their ordination, the newly ordained until their 10th year of ordination, those from 10 years to retirement, and the retired.

“Working groups were then set up, and have been enquiring via questionnaires and surveys, the need and priorities of the clergy of Perth,” Fr Bianchini explained.

“After recommendations are made to the board following the survey analysis, they will then be sent for the Archbishop to review.

“At present, as a result of the surveys, we are trying to establish support groups and continue to organise retreats and seminars for the clergy, with sessions run every two months for those falling in the ‘under 10 year group’, with topics based on their suggestions,” he added.

“Ongoing formation is an indispensable requirement in the life of every priest and his exercise of priestly ministry.

“Therefore, our priests should feel (and be reminded that) that they are disciples on a journey, constantly needing a continuous configuration to Jesus Christ,” Fr Bianchini concluded.

I S S U E 1 5 N OV E M B E R 2018 23

Winning with Faith WORDS Michael Britton

If there was an immense treasure living under a house’s foundations, to what lengths would one go to uncover it? Would they forego their employment, life’s priorities, call in contractors to help uncover it or would they be happy to let it sit idle, knowing it would still be there when at a later stage?

Adult Faith Formation

T

here’s always much fanfare and excitement about the announcement of a lottery jackpot and who has the winning ticket. When the winner doesn’t turn up, it is rumoured that some people even rummage through their bins looking for their ticket in case they missed out on an opportunity of great wealth.

Most people know the story Jesus tells of a person who was told of a great treasure that was hidden in a specific place, only to later find out it was actually hidden within their own home. This great treasure for Catholics is faith; and thankfully, it is not a random jackpot. But nonetheless, this treasure, like a lottery ticket, still needs some external validation in that it is not something that can be self-confirmed.

One of the most wondrous aspects of the Catholic Church is that it certainly is a “broad church”. Certainly, there is a doctrinal canon and a Magisterium that set some boundaries around the faith Catholics may practice. But it can still be far and wide reaching depending on the manner in which Catholics want and need to uncover this treasure.

Those into a type of Mariology may choose to regularly attend the Legion of Mary, others seeking a more contemplative faith may choose a more cloistered life. Others may choose to join some of the new and emerging ecclesial movements. Some, pursuing more traditional approaches, may attend a Latin Mass while others may seek outreach and social work through organisations like our own Archdiocesan agencies: The Shopfront, Catholic Outreach or The Emmanuel Centre.

God has set a banquet before the eyes of Christians in the face of adversity and the daily struggles of life.

However, an emerging and arguably disturbing feature of modern life is a broad and individualistic movement termed “personal spirituality.” This increasingly popular movement is where people choose to have an entre of New Age Transcendentalism mixed with a slice of Christianity, peppered with other various beliefs and all polished off by a philosophy of personal fulfilment and validation.

This “pick and choose” approach to faith has been aptly described by some evangelical American pastors as the

“laziest form of faith development and spirituality” as there is no doctrine but personal determination, there is no community but self and there is no self-discipline except relative truths. Faith, however, is not something that can be self-validated or developed in isolation. It requires a Christian community and it also requires the verification of the Church.

Indeed, St Benedict of Nursia said that some could go into the desert and live in isolation; praising God for the rest of their lives. But this was only possibly after rigorously and thoroughly developing the use of the weapons of faith; as if training in the art of war against the dark forces.

In each of these cases, the faithful needed the validation of the Church. Faith is not simply something one can gain through self-affirmation. If one wanted to claim their lottery jackpot they’d need to go to a validated “outlet” and confirm and securely verify the claim. A wide raft of saintly orders have had to go through, sometimes arduous and difficult, periods of validation. Their faith was clearly demonstrated in humbly submitting themselves to this process.

Catholics receive their first entry to faith in baptism; adorning the baptismal gown in the promises of the Church and their godparents. But as some Catholics grow through life’s experiences and difficulties, some may find that this gown no longer fits. Their faith remains absent or infantile.

But there have been an innumerable amount of life stories where these promises have remained dormant for some time; only to be later awoken by a life changing moment or sequence of events. The recent conversion of vocal atheist Bill Hayden, aged 85, is testament to the fact that it is never too late to start on the journey of faith.

Ultimately, the greatest joy for all Catholics is knowing the very same depth of faith the saints have is, today, available to all the faithful. It is not something that is abstract or buried under a house, it is not a random jackpot for the lucky. One may choose to let this treasure sit idly. Others, realising its value, may choose to urgently pursue it through local parishes, new realities and movements throughout the Church.

I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 25

The objective of the Strengthening and Revitalising Parishes priority area, entails the need “to foster in each parish community a deepening realisation of their vocation to be a credible witness to the presence of Jesus in our lives, in our Church and in our society”.

Online resources vital in Parish Renewal arsenal WORDS Matthew Lau

D

r Carmel Suart, Research Officer for the Parish Renewal Implementation committee, said the key facet to enable parishes to reach these goals falls into the hands of each respective parish leadership group.

“The nature and function of the Parish Pastoral Council are drawn from the nature and mission of the Church,” she said.

“At this midway point [of the Archdiocesan Plan], we have produced a new Constitution with an accompanying e-resource to help Parish Pastoral Councils find the most effective means and methods to serve the people of the parish as they fulfil the mission of the Church in this time and place.”

Dr Carmel Suart, Research Officer for the Strengthening and Revitalising Parishes committee, at the launch of the revised constitution for Parish Pastoral Councils at St Mary’s Cathedral on 31 July. Photo: Ron Tan

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Strengthening & Revitalising Parishes

Primarily, the main objective of the website is for parishes to have an up-to-date resource that is easily accessible.

“The first resource, which has been uploaded onto the website, is the e-handbook which accompanies the Parish Pastoral Council Constitution [2017],” Dr Suart added.

“The purpose of the handbook is to encourage and assist parishes to discern how to better engage its members to work collaboratively within the life of the Archdiocese, as well as within the life of the parish in fulfilling the Church’s mission.”

She said the aim is to invigorate Parish Pastoral Councils in their endeavours to “place at the heart of the parish a consciousness and enthusiasm, promoting the mission of Christ proposed by the Gospels and taught by the Church”.

“The content of the e-handbook provides a framework of key guiding principles and offers strategies and suggested resources to help build more effective Parish Pastoral Councils.

“A Parish Pastoral Council who understands its role within the mission of the Church has a capacity to strengthen the life of the parish in creating a Christcentred and mission-orientated Church which is vibrant, revitalised, faithful, welcoming, inclusive and forward-thinking.”

In doing so, Dr Suart added, each parish in their unique way will work towards accomplishing the Archdiocesan vision outlined in the Archdiocese of Perth Pastoral Plan.

With her experience as a consultant for Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA), Dr Suart devoted

her time and knowledge into how the e-resources could be used as a major teaching tool for parishes.

“For the resource to become an effective tool for Parish Pastoral Councils, it is highly recommended that all members of the Parish Pastoral Council familiarise themselves with its content as it lays the foundation for the work of the Council,” she explained.

“

Place at the heart of the parish a consciousness and enthusiasm, promoting the mission of Christ proposed by the Gospels and taught by the Church

”

Council leaders and parish priests have been invited to one of eight gatherings to work through and familiarise themselves with the website and the content of the e-handbook.

While the resources will be presented to all parish representatives on the same platform, there is no expectation that all parishes will utilise them in a uniform manner.

“A number of strategies will be provided so that parishes may best select the method that will work best in their community,” she added.

“Apart from the e-handbook, the website also offers resources for faith formation and prayer, video and podcast that will enhance the understanding of the various sections with the e-handbook.”

Dr Suart told The Record that the core intention of the website is to keep parishes abreast of what is happening in the Archdiocese.

I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 27

OUTREACH TO THOSE IN NEED Putting faith into action

WORDS Theresia Titus

As part of putting his mission “to return the Church to Christ and Christ to the Church” into action, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB courageously brought into focus how we as an Archdiocese can best accommodate several challenges occurring in our society.

T

hese challenges are summarised under the 2016 Archdiocesan Plan priority area, Outreach to Those in Need, which is dedicated to delivering an informed and practical response to people in need in the context of Catholic Social Teaching.

It brings about an understanding of the prevailing community, social and economic environments.

Leading this initiative is Dr Terry Wilson as Vicar for Social Outreach.

Speaking to The Record, Dr Wilson said social outreach is for all people in the community, not just only Catholics.

“The overarching thrust of this strategy was to deliver an informed and, most importantly,

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practical response to people in need within the Church’s social teaching,” Dr Wilson said.

“St Paul tells us in his letter to James that ‘faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead’. In delivering this part of the Plan, our constant focus has been to provide practical assistance to those in need,” he said.

“An initial task was to identify those areas where there were gaps in the Archdiocese’s service delivery.

As a result, two new services have been introduced.

“The West Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (WACMRO) was opened in late 2017 under the leadership of Deacon Greg Lowe,” Dr Wilson explained.

Outreach to Those in Need

“Additionally, a Post Abortion Grief Counselling and Support service has been started with more than 50 people assisted in its first year through confidential counselling to deal with the personal trauma they have experienced.”

Dr Wilson also explained that several new initiatives, such as the introduction of Disability Access Inclusion Plans, developed in consultation with the Emmanuel Centre and Reconciliation Action Plans, developed in consultation with the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry, are also in the process of being implemented in Archdiocesan owned-and-operated agencies to facilitate greater inclusion of all people.

The second strategy within Outreach to Those in Need area is supporting Archdiocesan agencies to cooperate among themselves, to enhance existing social outreach services.

“By fostering collaboration between existing service providers, they deliver more effective assistance to those in need,” Dr Wilson explained.

In October 2017, a ground-breaking Social Outreach Networking Conference was held, co-ordinated in collaboration with the Archdiocesan Communications Office.

It was attended by 21 central social outreach agencies who met collectively and examined how to best assist each other’s work.

Dr Wilson mentioned there are currently 18 collaborative projects within the agencies, including the partnership between Catholic Homes and Identitywa in “working together to provide accommodation and care support for those people with disabilities requiring aged and end of life needs”.

Daydawn Advocacy Centre and Aboriginal Catholic Ministry are also working together acquiring funds for aboriginal persons’ funerals, as well as the Emmaus Community and The Shopfront are sharing and distributing resources to assist homeless people.

Five Archdiocesan agencies are also taking students from Centacare Employment and Training on work placements in preparing them to enter the workforce.

Ensuring the efficacy of the co-operation between these agencies, Dr Wilson specified that two further initiatives have been put in place.

“A partnership has been formed with the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA), through a formal Memorandum of Understanding, for UNDA to prepare C L O C K W I S E Aboriginal Catholic Ministry

staff. Photo: The Record Dr Terry Wilson,

an annual overview document that tracks solid baseline data measuring of poverty, homelessness and immigration, to inform the Archdiocese in making

Vicar for Social Outreach. Photo: Sourced

future decisions.

Emmanuel Centre introduced Disability

“Links are also being established to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s

Access Inclusion Plans to facilitate greater

National Centre for Pastoral Research,” he stated.

inclusion of people with disabilities in Archdiocesan agencies. Photo: Supplied Research and Project Development Manager

The second initiative is the commencement of Catholic Social Services WA in July 2018 with former Chief Executive of St Patrick’s Community Support Centre

at the Archdiocese of Perth Tony Giglia,

Fremantle, Steve McDermott, appointed as its first Director.

signing the agreement as the first witness

“CSSWA will promote further collaborative projects while supporting Catholic

on a partnership agreement between the

social outreach agencies.

Archdiocese of Perth and the University of Notre Dame Australia. Photo: Amy Gibbs, UNDA Emmaus Community founder Br Alan Archer. Photo: Matthew Lau

“It takes as its motto from the words of Pope Francis that he said on 10 July 2016 to ‘do good works, do not just say words that go to the wind. Through the good works that we do… our faith germinates and bears fruit’,” Dr Wilson concluded.

I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 29

A RCHDIOCESE IDENTIFIES PA R I S H DE V ELOPMENT IN SOU THER N PA T C H E S WORDS Matthew Lau

Banksia Grove is some 27km north of Perth city and is one of the newest and fastest growing parishes of the Archdiocese. Inaugural priest Fr Vinh Dong unveiled two foundational stones personally blessed

by Pope Francis on 1 February 2015. Photo: Sourced

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The areas of Hammond Park and Piara Waters have emerged as the major suburbs of interest in the topic of Archdiocesan Growth and Development.

Renay Grech, Manager of Strategy Implementation and Support for the Perth Archdiocese, said Growth and Development is a priority area that is progressing at a slow pace.

When data for the Archdiocesan Plan was collated and released in 2016, the four identified areas of highly progressive population were: Alkimos, Hammond Park, Piara Waters, and Byford.

While Alkimos and Byford have grown steadily in population, crucial decisions for both are “not on the near horizon, but will be as the population moves out there”.

Hammond Park and Piara Waters remain the two major areas of potential, and directional decisions will be made on both by mid-2019.

“There is no other evidence to strongly suggest that we should be looking at other parishes right now,” Mr Grech stated.

Archdiocesan Grow th & Development

The methodology around the strategic planning of Growth and Development is primarily focused on mapping of populations and demographics.

“In the old days the rule of thumb was, if it was more than a mile to walk in the inner city, they usually built another church. People didn’t have vehicles in those days, so walking was usually how people got to church.

“What we’re trying to do is bring in a more contemporary, if not more scientific, approach to looking at planning and how we do that,” Mr Grech added.

The Parish Renewal Implementation Group – a body of lay leaders and clergy – has recently joined with Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) to utilise their planning services for its scrutinising of schools and population.

“Because there’s a close nexus between where a school is, often a parish will be created around that. Not that that’s the right theological position, it should be a parish and then a school – but in practice that’s how it’s actually happened.”

He said they have also begun a decision-framework strategy that looks at all the criteria for “what, where and when” a parish or a church could be established.

Renay Grech, Archdiocese Manager of Strategy Implementation and Support, spoke about strengthening and revitalising of parishes at a Joint Parish Retreat Day held at Mount Lawley Parish on 10 March. Photo: Josh Low

An issue brought into consideration is the lack of vocations to priesthood in recent times, and whether an increase in parishes in Perth can be handled by the amount of priests the Archdiocese will have in the future.

“We need to get an understanding of population growth, where the higher density of living is, where the populations are going to be, and then we probably need to map against our priests, how many priests we have, and how many we’ll need to bring in from various places,” Mr Grech elaborated.

Another idea suggested is to realign parish boundaries to suit populations.

“Putting a church on land is a huge investment, and if you can’t have your base figures right in terms of at least a minimum number of people that we can build from, we’re probably not going to build a church until we’re really sure,” he added.

Data from the 2016 National Count of Attendance reveals that 62 per cent of Perth parishes have experienced a drop in Mass attendance since the count was last taken in 2011.

Overall, Catholic average weekly Mass attendance dropped from 55,238 to 53,686 between 2011 and 2016, at the same time as the general population of Perth grew by 10 per cent.

“There are going to be some realities where if parishes are getting smaller and there are fewer people participating, and there is no evidence to say that population is going to grow any further, and if we don’t have a lot of priests, then we’ve got to make some decisions about that,” Mr Grech acknowledged.

“That’s happened historically around Perth anyway, there have been some parishes that have been either closed down or amalgamated. But it’s not the preferred way of doing it.”

On the positive side, the number of people identifying as Catholic increased from 426,609 to 429,715.

I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 31

eConference sheds light on Synodality, Plenary Council

2 0 2 0

WORDS Matthew Lau

L

andmark discussions were recently held to look at the future vision and direction for the Catholic Church in Australia.

The video conference, titled “Synodality in Practice: Listening to the Spirit and Leading Change”, was filmed at the Caroline Chisholm Centre in Sydney on 1 August.

Synodality is a theological concept that Pope Francis has often referred to in his five-year papacy.

In 2015, he described it as the way in which people in the Church learn and listen to each other and take shared responsibility for proclaiming the Gospel.

Organised by the Broken Bay Institute’s Australian Institute of Theological Education (BBI-TAITE), this year’s speakers included

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Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Plenary Council Facilitator Lana Turvey-Collins, Professor Massimo Faggioli, Dr Gemma Cruz, and Professor Richard Lennan.

Drawing on fresh insights from Pope Francis’ vision of synodality, the speakers’ messages touched on models of leadership in the contemporary Church – examining how the upcoming Plenary Council may help promote a more inclusive and dialogical Church.

Archbishop Coleridge, Chair of the Bishops Commission for the 2020 Plenary Council, spoke on the topic of “Leaders that Listen: Synodality in Practice”.

“The word ‘synodality’ does not occur at any point of Vatican II, but it does go back to the heart of the vision of the Church,” Archbishop Coleridge said.

“[The] process of discernment must always be an experience of ‘real prayer’. That’s where the journey of the Plenary Council has to be, above all, a journey of prayer for the whole Church – the word ‘Plenary’ means ‘everybody’.”

He identified three key requirements moving forward: open dialogue between clergy and lay faithful, mutual criticism on both sides to build up the Church, and reference to the external in the Holy Spirit.

“The wound of sin will always make synodality hard, but the healing of grace will always make it not only possible, but even joyful as we take the road together.

“Educating ourselves, as Pope Francis says, in the patience of God and His time: this is what the Spirit is saying to the Church at this time. This is, I think, the kairos of God,” Archbishop Coleridge concluded.

Ms Turvey-Collins’ focus was on “Synodality in Practice – Preparing for the Australian Plenary Council”.

“We are in a very different time now in 2018 than the last time we held a Plenary Council, which was in 1937.

Pope Francis talks about this as not just changing times, but actually a change of era,” Ms Turvey-Collins said.

“

The wound of sin will always make synodality hard, but the healing of grace will always make it not only possible, but even joyful as we take the road together.

”

Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge spoke on the topic of “Leaders that Listen: Synodality in Practice”. Photos: Supplied

“We have come through a stage where the Royal Commission has been incredibly humbling and we are in need in our Church a renewal of customs, practices, refreshing ways of seeing leadership and possibility that renews our culture throughout all layers and parts of our community of the Church.”

Prof Faggioli, who lectures in Historical Theology at Villanova University, Philadelphia, highlighted the “Structures of Synodality: Insights from Pope Francis”.

The International Theological Commission conducted a study on the life and mission of the Church – published on the Vatican’s website in Italian on 3 May 2018 – aimed at deepening the Church’s understanding of Synodality.

“The participation of lay faithful is essential,” it states.

“They are the immense majority of the People of God and we have much to learn from their participation in diverse expressions of life.”

Dr Cruz, School of Theology Senior Lecturer at Australian Catholic University’s Institute of Religion and Critical Inquiry, spoke about “Synodality, Community and the Margins”.

“The only way is to listen to the Spirit; if we don’t listen to the Spirit, then shame on us,” she proclaimed.

Prof Lennan, who teaches Systematic Theology at the School of Theology and Ministry, Boston College, was the final speaker on the topic of “Change and the Church’s Tradition” and cited article 173 of Pope Francis’ Gaudete et Exsultate, making reference to “the eternal newness of God”.

The panel question and answer session was facilitated

by Noel Debien of ABC Radio’s Religion and Ethics Unit.

A DVD of the eConference is available for $29.95 (including free postage within Australia) by contacting econference@bbi.catholic.edu.au or call 02 9847 0030.

For more information, visit: www.bbi.catholic.edu.au

I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 33

BOOK REVIEW

A R C H B I S H O P F I S H E R N E W

W R I T E S

B O O K

Y O U N G

F O R

P E O P L E

WORDS The Catholic Weekly

“What is my life for? What are my passions, hopes and ideals? Where do I belong and get my identity and meaning?

Where, ultimately, will I find that ‘infinite joy’ for which I was made and my heart craves?”

S

peaking directly to the deepest desires of young Catholics to do more and be more, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP identifies these questions and others as being those that occupy the hearts and minds of young people in the introduction to his new book, My Dear Young Friend.

“What next moves would make the most of me?

In other words: what movie am I making with my choices and what is becoming of the main character?”

In 40 short letters, Archbishop Fisher seeks to respond to some of the questions so important to young people today.

With letters on topics such as truth, vulnerability, friendship, leadership, the problem of suffering, fear, vocation, mercy and new beginnings, the Sydney Archbishop provides short but nourishing answers to the big questions of life.

The letters in the book, Archbishop Fisher says, address questions that young people have raised with him over the years, throughout his pastoral ministry.

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My Dear Young Friend by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP. Photo: Sourced

“Ponder, puzzle, wrestle with them,” he invites the young reader. “These are matters worth struggling with, laughing and crying over.”

Launching the book at the World Youth Day 10th anniversary celebrations in Sydney, Archbishop Fisher encouraged young people to not just think quickly, but deeply.

“The challenge is to slow down and quieten down, enough to digest it all, exercise our critical judgement, sort out what’s really worthwhile,” he said.

He exhorted the hundreds of young people present to aim high: “Not only should you think deep, you should also think big. Think in terms of your country, your Church, the whole natural world and the whole social world”.

Finally, Archbishop Fisher reminded them to see the future and the possibilities that lay ahead as a mission and not a burden, reminding them that God always provides the necessary graces for the tasks with which he entrusts them.

RECIPE

Indonesian Soy-Coated Chicken Wings WORDS Theresia Titus

T H E R E I S N O T H I N G more satisfying than the taste of zingy, soy-based sauce on succulent chicken wings, accompanied by fresh lettuce, tomato and cucumber on a fine spring afternoon. Yes, the weather is warming up and it is time for a fresh yet satisfying meal. It is as easy to make it as to eat it. This can be something different you have not tried before, a homemade Indonesian dish cost you much less than your return tickets to Bali. So let’s get cooking!

Method 1.

and salt for 15 minutes. Make sure chicken wing nibbles are well coated.

2.

until the pieces are golden brown and cooked through. Drain the pieces after.

4.

¼ of lime, squeezed

•

1 teaspoon of salt

•

½ teaspoon of white pepper powder

•

1 shallot, finely minced

•

½ clove of garlic, crushed

•

1 teaspoon of ginger powder or 1 cm of ginger, peeled and finely minced

Put and stir the minced shallot, crushed garlics, minced chilies and lime leaves until

pieces of whole chicken wings, cut into niblets •

Quickly heat up 8 tablespoons of oil onto another cooking pan.

Ingredients 800 grams of chicken wing niblets or roughly eight

Put two cups of oils onto the pan and heat up. Fry the chicken niblets for 15-20 minutes

3.

•

Marinate chicken wing nibbles with lime water

fragrant. Put the ginger powder or minced ginger in.

5.

Pour the sweet soy sauce and soy sauce onto the mix. Stir, and then quickly put the fried chicken niblets in. Stir the mix until the chicken wing niblets pieces are fully coated.

6.

Add white pepper and sugar to taste, add more salt if need be.

•

2 lime leaves, chopped

•

4 tablespoons of sweet soy sauce

•

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

•

½ teaspoon of sugar

•

To make it spicy, add 4 hot chillies or more

zucchini and tomatoes and arrange them on

•

1 cucumber or zucchini, sliced

the plate and then take the soy-coated chick-

•

Fresh oakleaf lettuce

en nibbles on top of the garnish. Depending

•

1 tomato, sliced

on taste, you can take three hot chillies finely

•

Cooking oil

chopped as garnish (see picture)

•

80 ml of water

7.

Add 100 ml of water, simmer until the sauce soaked into the chicken in medium heat.

8.

9.

Take oakleaf lettuce, minced cucumber or

Serve the dish while it’s hot. Selamat Makan!

I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 35

COLOURING

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ACTIVITY PAGE

ACROSS 3

Where King Saul consulted a medium (1 Sam 28:7)

24 “___ in terris”

6

Pertaining to Scripture

8

“Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” (abbr.)

27 This was rolled in front of Jesus’ tomb

9

Start of the Christian era

11 Papal ambassador 13 Morality 15 Good ___

26 Ezekiel scattered this to the wind (Ezek 5:1–2)

30 Agape ___ 32 Archdiocese and capital of Canada 34 The Israelites settled here in Egypt 37 Nephew of Abraham

17 The Sacred ___ of Jesus

38 Evil king of Israel

20 NT epistle 21 Sacred music 23 “…be ___ and your no…” (Jas 5:12)

39 One of the young men cast into the furnace 40 Top monk

DOWN 1

God, in Paris

2

Catholic actor Guinness

3

Old Testament prophet who was the successor of Elijah

25 Italian archdiocese with the Ambrosian rite

“…the ___ he has sent away empty” (Lk 1:53)

28 Nihil ___

4

5 Lies 7

Man of the ___

10 Bk. of the Pentateuch 11 A non-coveting commandment 12 ___ Testament 14 Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, is patron saint of this South American country

22 What you do not use in unleavened bread

27 The ___ of Confession 29 John’s symbol 31 NT epistle 32 Second son of Judah 33 Jesus’ name for the Father 35 ___ of Songs 36 “Tantum ___”

ANSWERS

16 The Lord, in Madrid (with “El”) 18 Joseph was sold into slavery here 19 “He is ___!”

20 Song of David

I S S U E 1 5 NOVEMBER 2018 37

Cover image by Jamie O’Brien

NOVEMBER

ISSUE 15

2018

OUR MISSION STATEMENT The Record Magazine seeks to promote awareness and understanding of vocation – God’s particular call to each of us to live and become what we were created to be. There are many such vocations – marriage and family life, priesthood, religious life or being single – with the first and universal vocation being to holiness, as described by the Fathers of the Church in Lumen Gentium.

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER & EDITOR Jamie O’Brien jamie.obrien@perthcatholic.org.au

DISCLAIMER

PRODUCTION

The Record Magazine is published bi-monthly.

Views expressed in published articles are not necessarily those of the publisher or Editor. The Editor may refuse copy or material, including advertisements, for publication. Inclusion of an advertisement in The Record Magazine does not reflect endorsement or responsibility from the publisher or Editor.

Feby Plando feby.plando@perthcatholic.org.au

CONTENT PRODUCER Joshua Low joshua.low@perthcatholic.org.au

MEMBERSHIP

JOURNALISTS

The Record Magazine is a member of the Australasian Catholic Press Association and Australasian Religious Press Association.

Amanda Murthy

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS We welcome unsolicited articles and photos; however, we do not guarantee replies to unsuccessful submissions.

Please send all information to: editor@therecord.com.au

amanda.murthy@perthcatholic.org.au

CONTACT

Matthew Lau

Archdiocese of Perth Communications Office Phone 08 9220 5900 Email editor@therecord.com.au Address 21 Victoria Square, Perth WA Postal Address PO Box 3075, Perth WA 6832

matthew.lau@perthcatholic.org.au

Theresia Titus theresia.titus@perthcatholic.org.au

SITES + SOCIAL MEDIA

ADMINISTRATION Bibiana Kwaramba bibiana.kwaramba@perthcatholic.org.au

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NOTICE The issue may contain images of deceased members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. Images are used with respect and appreciation.

© 2018 The Record.

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